Wrench.



CHARLES '1. MELI-IORN, OF AIVISBRY, PENNSYLVANIA.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1912.

Application filed March 18, 1912. Serial No. 684,543.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES T. MEL- I-IORN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Amsbry, in the county ofCambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches and more particularlyto a quick adjustable wrence of that type wherein a sliding jaw isprovided which carries a pivotally mounted pawl for engagement withteeth formed upon the shank of the wrench.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision ofsimple, efficient and durable means for holding the pivoted dog inengagement with the teeth on the shank to secure the jaw in its adjustedposition and quickly effect the release of said jaw so that the same canbe moved longitudinally on the shank.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a simplecombination and arrangement of parts which may be easily and quicklyassembled into operative position, are all of extreme simple form andmay therefore be inexpensively manufactured.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel'features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts aswill be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in thespecification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, Figure 1is a side elevation of a wrench embodying the present invention. Fig. 2is an enlarged longitudinal section of one end of the wrench. Fig. 3 isa section taken on the line 3, 30f Fig. 2; and Fig. 1 is a detailperspective View ,Of the sliding guide block which is mounted in thewrench shank.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the shank of a wrenchto one end of which a handle 6 is attached in any approved manner. Uponthe other end of the wrench shank, the stationary jaw 7 is integrallyformed. The shank 5 is provided with a longitudinal slot 8 which extendssub stantially the entire length of said shank, and in the opposed wallsof which the longitudinal grooves 9 are formed. One edge of the shank onopposite sides of the slot 8 is provided with the teeth 10. A pawl 11 ispivotally mounted at one end between the ears 12 which are formed uponthe adjustable jaw 13 loosely mounted for longitudina-l movement on thewrench shank. The other end of this pawl is adapted to engage the teeth10 of the shank.

The opposed walls of the slotted shank 5 have entrance grooves orchannels 14: formed therein adjacent to the outer end of the shank whichopen into the longitudinally extending grooves 9. A guide block 15 isarranged in the slot 8 of the shank and is provided upon opposite faceswith the studs 16 which are moved through the channels 14- into thegrooves 9. This guide block is provided with an opening 17 through whichthe rod or stem 18 is longitudinally movable. One end of this rod orstem is pivotally connected to the free end of the pawl 11, as indicatedat 19, while the other end of said stem is provided with screw threadsand is loosely disposed through an aperture formed in the end of a plate20 which is rigidly fixed t0 the sliding jaw 13. A coil spring 21 isarranged upon the rod or stem 18 between the plate 20 and the shank 5and has one of its ends fixed to said plate and its other end secured tothe movable stem. A nut 22 is threaded 011 the stem 18 and engages theface of the plate 20.

From the foregoing description of, the arrangement of elementsconstituting my improved wrench, its operation will be understood asfollows :1Vhen it is desired to adjust the jaw 13 upon the wrench sothat said jaw and the stationary jaw 7 may be engaged with an object,the nut 22 is thread ed outwardly upon the end of the stem 18 so thatthe spring 21 will act to move said stein through the guide block 15 andforce the end of the pawl 11 out of engagement with the teeth 10 of thewrench shank. The operator now moves the jaw 13 to the desired positionon the shank, the studs 16 of the guide block sliding freely in thegrooves 9 of the shank 5. When properly positioned, it will be seen thatas the nut 22 is turned upon the end of the stem 18, to draw said stemthrough the plate 20, the end of the pivoted pawl 11 will move intoengagement with the teeth 10 and at the same time, the spring 21 isplaced under compression so that the nut 22 is at all times maintainedin engagement with said plate. As the nut 22 prevents any longitudinalmovement of i the stem through its guide block 15, the dog 11 will besecurely held in engagement with the teeth of the shank, when pressureis brought to bear upon the adjustable jaw 13 in the turning movement ofthe wrench.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and manner of useof my improved wrench will be fully understood. The arrangement of thevarious elements is such that the same can be easily and quicklyassembled or any part removed in the event the same becomes broken andreplaced by a new part. The jaw 13 may be easily and quickly adjusted onthe wrench shank and is rigidly and securely held in its adjustedposition in the use of the wrench.

While I have shown and described the preferred construction andarrangement of the parts, it will be obvious that the same issusceptible of considerable modification in form and proportion withoutdeparting from the essential feature or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is 1. In a wrench,the combination with a longitudinallyslotted shank provided with teethon one face and having a stationary head formed on one end, the opposedwalls of said shank having longitudinal grooves formed therein andentrance channels to the grooves at one end, an adjustable jaw on theshank, a guide block movable in the slot of said shank and provided withstuds projecting into said longitudinal grooves, a pawl pivotallymounted on the adjustable jaw to engage the teeth of the shank, a stemconnected to said pawl and movable through the opening in the guideblock, and means for moving said stem to engage and diseir gage the pawlwith the teeth upon the shank.

2. In a wrench, the combination with a longitudinally slotted shankprovided with teeth upon one edge and having a stationary jaw formed onone end, the opposed walls of said slot having longitudinal groovesformed therein, a guide block movable in the slot of the shank andhaving studs projecting into said grooves, an adjustable jaw on theshank, a pawl pivotally mounted on the jaw to engage said teeth, a stemmovably mounted in the guide block and pivotally connected to the freeend of said pawl, a plate fixed to the adjustable-jaw provided with anaperture through which said stem is freely movable, and a nut threadedupon the end of said stem and co-acting with the plate to move the stemand engage or disengage the pawl with the teeth on the shank.

3. In a wrench, the combination with a longitudinally slotted shankhaving teeth on one face and a jaw formed on one end, the opposed wallsof the slot in said shank being provided with longitudinal grooves andentrance channels opening into the grooves at one end, a guide blockprovided with studs movable through said channels into the grooves, saidblock being longitudinally movable in the slot in the shank, anadjustable jaw on the shank, a pawl pivotally mounted on the jaw toengage the teeth on the shank and hold the jaw in its adjusted position,said guide block being provided with an opening, a stem pivotallyengaged with one end of the pawl, a plate fixed to the adjustable jawand provided with an aperture through which said stem is freely movable,a spring arranged 011 the stem and fixed at one end thereto, the otherend of said stem being fixed to the plate, said spring normally actingto force the "stem through the opening in the guide block and move thepawl out of engagement with the teeth on the shank, and a nut threadedon the end of the stem co-acting with said plate to move the stem andengage the pawl with said teeth and to place said spring underCOHIPIQSSlOD.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CHARLES T; MELHORN. \Vitnesses G. A. CUNNINGHAM, BLAIR C. Scans.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

